Hari Seldon
Hari Seldon, a modest mathematician who was born in Helicon, created the discipline of Psychohistory, which suggests that the future of humanity and of the universe does not fall squarely in the realm of chaos, but can be deduced thanks to mathematical formulas. Though Seldon mostly appears in the first three volumes of the Foundation Series, his presence is palpable in the characters of all Foundation novels, and he plays a huge role in the development of history from his early life to millennia after his death. Biography Seldon's father was a tobacco farmer on his home planet of Helicon. It is presumed that Seldon learned Twisting, the Heliconian martial art, from an early age, as by his adulthood he is a skillful practician of it. Not much is said of his mother. He apparently showed mathematical capabilities at a very early age and was recognized for it. Hari Seldon was born on the planet of Helicon in the Arcturus Sector. His father was a farmer, raising tobacco. On Helicon, while growing up, he learned the art of Twisting, which is the Heliconian martial art. To his old age, Seldon remained a proficient Twister. Around the age of 30, Seldon presented his seminal thesis regarding psychohistory at the Decennial Convention, a mathematical convention that met occasionally in Trantor. In his thesis, Seldon argued for the first time that psychohistory - and predicting the future with some sort of mathematical certainty - was indeed possible. The speech was noticed by Emperor Cleon I, who was on the throne at the time, and his First Minister, Eto Demerzel. Chetter Hummin, acting as a friendly force, insured that Seldon could escape the Emperor. In reality, Eto Demerzel and Chetter Hummin are revealed to be the same person - the robot R. Daneel Olivaw. Regardless, Olivaw, recognizing the importance of Psychohistory, provided Seldon with Dors Venabili as a protector and companion, and encouraged Seldon to set out on The Flight, a time when he and Dors were constantly moving from place to place, escaping detection and kidnapping, and meanwhile developing the basics of Psychohistory. The four locations Seldon visited during The Flight were (in chronological order) - Streeling University, Mycogen, Dahl, and finally Wye (all four being sector of the planet Trantor). After The Flight, and after helping Emperor Cleon I and Eto Demerzel put down the Joranumite Rebellion, Hari Seldon is unexpectedly chosen as the First Minister (after R. Daneel Olivaw announces his departure). Despite his own objections, Emperor Cleon I does not waver, and Seldon serves for ten years as First Minister of the Galactic Empire. Seldon's term as First Minister ended when he was almost assassinated by his own son, Raych Seldon, who was under the influence of Desperance and under the mental control of the remnants of the Joranumite Conspiracy. At the same time, Emperor Cleon I was assassinated by a gardener for an unrelated matter, and Seldon thought it wise to step down and allow the military junta that was growing more powerful to take control of the Empire. Category:Characters Category:Books Category:Encyclopedia